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Saturday, April 30, 2011

Beltane Cake Ritual

Here is a Beltane Ritual from the Scottish Highlands. A caudle, which is a thickened and sweetened alcoholic hot drink, somewhat like eggnog, was cooked on the bonfire. Some of the mixture was poured on the ground as a libation. Everyone present would then take a piece of oatmeal cake. A bit of the cake was offered to the spirits to protect their livestock (one bit to protect the horses, one bit to protect the sheep, and so forth) and a bit was offered to each of the animals that might harm their livestock (one to the fox, one to the eagle, and so forth). Afterwards, they would drink the caudle.

Today, the ritual might go like this: The group gathers around the Beltane fire, where eggnog and cake have been prepared. A libation is poured, and the cake is passed round the circle with each person breaking off a piece and throwing it over their shoulder along with a simple spell of giving and preserving.

"I give this to thee (name the threat or the predator)

Preserve my (name what or whoever you wish preserved)."
For example:"I give this to thee grasshopper...Preserve my garden."or"This I give to you Wizards of Wall Street... Preserve my financial stability."

Everyone then shares the remaining cake and drinks the remaining eggnog.

Note: This post was written for Gypsy Magicby Shirley Twofeathers using information found on Wikipedia. You may repost and share it only if you give me credit and a link back to this website. Blessed be.